Iterum (Again)
by KiraLoveless
Summary: After floating listlessly at the Roots of Yggdrasil for years, the Mistress of Death finally returned home. Of course, the infamous Potter Luck immediately crashed in and she was thrown into a life of chaos and destruction once more. Except this time, she wasn't the one with the gravitational pull for danger. It was her brother, Tony. Ron. Tony.. Ugh, it's complicated. Fem!Harry
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

In the Dark Void known as Timeless Space, you were nothing and everything at the same time.

Life was simply a mote unseen by the higher powers of the universe.

One moment you are there and the next, you're not.

She was one such a spec.

So insignificant in the grand machinations of the world at large.

And yet.

She stood at the Base, the Beginning, and watched as Creation came to be and Destruction came to end it in an endless cycle of Life and Death and Rebirth.

"Why?" Her voice spoke out into the nothingness.

Why was she here? Why was she watching this? The Rise and Fall of civilizations as grains lost in the hourglass of Time. The Rebirth of stars from the End of once magnificent Creations. The Destruction of worlds unknown. The endless cycle ruled by the Natural Order. Why had she not joined the cycle? Why was she not dead? Why?

" _Because you have a purpose you have yet to complete, dear daughter."_ An ancient voice answered, tired and weary from the elements of Time.

She turned and studied the being that served as her companion for as long as she could remember, "You are dying."

" _I am."_

"And your children shall die with you." She sighed, solemn and resigned.

Yet another End she would be forced to watch.

" _Will you go Back?"_

She paused, "Back?"

" _The time of your Creation."_

She stared softly into the cosmos, "There is nothing left for me there."

" _Then perhaps a new one. You have stayed at the Roots of Yggdrasil for far too long."_

"A new Life." She mumbled in contemplation before letting out a chuckle, "I do not remember much of my life Before. Perhaps it would be wise to begin again. _Novae Vitae_."

" _It is of your choosing, daughter."_

"And my purpose?"

" _That is for you to decide, dear one."_

She laughed, "I should have expected that answer. Will you send me off?"

" _When?"_

"Choose for me will you?" She smiled fondly at the ancient being slowly fading away, "Send me where you want me to be."

" _I see you as my daughter, but another lays claim to the title I hold."_

She blinked at change of subject, "Yes… _Spiritus Terrae_. Spirit of the planet Earth, Gaia."

" _She calls for your return."_ The being hummed, " _Despite the passage of Time."_

She smiled sadly, "Her children could not accept my connection with the Earth. I willingly left Her."

" _Time changes many things. Give your brothers and sisters a chance, my daughter."_

She bowed her head, "I will do whatever you wish as my last gift to you."

" _It is an honor, dear one."_

"Farewell." She said with her eyes closed. " _Ego tamen non obliviscar tui._ "

" _I too will not forget, Haryn Potter-Black. Live your Life in happiness."_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

She had no control.

The lack of control meant terrible, terrible consequences.

By why did that matter when she could finally feel again?

For once, she was aware of her own body, aware of the warm tears falling from her raw face in fear and frustration. Numb arms and legs she'd long forgotten she had felt like weights pulling her down. Trapping her. Pinning her. But Gaia's forgotten presence pressed up against her gently, reminding her that even if she didn't know what was going on, Gaia was there to help her.

" _Sleep, my daughter."_

" _Where… am I?"_ She struggled to communicate, having long lost the ability to speak with the Earth centuries ago.

" _You are home."_

It took her quite some time to reorient herself enough to effectively process the information being given to her in that moment. It was a whirlwind of colors, a blend of images and voices all crammed into the second it took for her to remember.

Just as she had seen the fall of great empires, she saw the end of the wizarding world as Gaia took away her gift of Magic. She watched as they lost their abilities one by one, turning into the squibs they so loathed. She saw the slow burning chaos that built up until the wizards and witches began destroying themselves in the misguided sense of survival, all under the noses of the ignorant muggles.

It was a quiet, pitiful death for a once powerful race.

She knew she should've felt something, but Haryn couldn't muster the necessary emotion. She'd long stopped considering herself one of them. Not since they had betrayed her after she fought a war for them. Not since Death had taken her away.

Pulling away from the memory of her people, Haryn requested to see her new life and Gaia happily obliged. The awkwardness of her newly acquired limbs became less of a foreign extension and more of an ill fit glove. As she became more aware of her body, Gaia gently pushed forth the information she wished to know.

She had been born a human once more and her gender had thankfully stayed the same. She was given the name Nova and she had a brother by the name of Anthony who was older by a year. The absence of a core around told her that she had been born into a family of muggles.

Unsurprising, but perhaps she had been expecting more.

"It's so ugly."

Haryn-Nova suddenly felt amused by the lisping voice of her brother as he stared at her swaddled form with interest. An unfamiliar sensation washed over her, directed towards the boy who she instinctively knew was of her kin. Recognition. Affection. Siblinghood. Their mother, a woman going by the name of Maria, seemed to share her sentiments as she laughed and bopped the boy on the nose.

"Anthony, this is your little sister. It's your job to protect her, alright?"

"Okay." Anthony scrunched up his nose and sniffed, "She's still ugly though."

"Hahaha, that will change in time, my son."

Maria giggle before nudging Anthony towards the door, "Come dear, little Nova needs her sleep. Why don't you go see what your father is up to?"

Anthony frowned, "He's busy working. He won't like me coming."

"Oh I'm sure he won't mind this time. It's his birthday after all." Maria smiled, taking him by the hand and leading them out the door.

Nova watched them leave.

Once the door closed with an audible click, she flopped listlessly onto her back and stared at the ceiling. She'd come to familiarize herself with the cracks and blemishes on the wall; there wasn't much else to do. Not enough to distract her from the thought of her old friend fading away into nonexistence as she sat here in the body of a baby.

Well, she paused in thought, there was her new family to consider.

Her father was some world renowned inventor that was rarely ever present and her mother was the one to watch over the two of them when she was able. Some days, Nova would feel a strange pang in her heart whenever she thought of her missing paternal figure, mixed with loving elation whenever she thought of her mother.

Nova simply assumed that they were impressions of a life forgotten in Time.

In the months that she had lived with her new family, Nova had only seen her father once and it was only to confirm if Maria would be able to take care of her. While that didn't particularly bother her, it certainly affected her human brother who seemed to take the man's lack of presence as a personal insult.

The child was exceptionally burly at times, although he never seemed to take his displeasure out on her. In fact, the boy was nothing but a complete sweetheart towards her whenever their parents weren't there to cause him to put on his tough act.

Unfortunately, since he could not vent to his parents or her, he often took it out on their hired caretakers instead. Nova had stopped trying to familiarize herself with the nanny after the fifth one was fired.

There was no point if they were simply going to disappear by the end of the week.

However, the latest one seemed quite determined to keep her job in the Stark Estate. She well on her way into the second week and Maria was quite impressed with the woman's tenacity.

Of course, Maria had no way of knowing that the reason why the woman was still here was because Anthony was actively avoiding her instead of antagonizing her. Maria also had no way in knowing that the nanny was actively avoiding Nova too.

Their first meeting had not been particularly pleasant.

"Who are you?" Anthony said accusingly, warily hovering next to Nova's crib. The woman standing at the entrance of Nova's nursery smiled brightly and waved a hand in greeting as if she belonged there.

"Ah, well Anthony. I'm your new nanny. I'm taking care of the two of you when your mother and father can't-"

"Who gave you permission to call me by my name?" He glared condescendingly, "I'm firing you."

The middle aged woman sputtered in shock, "Er-Well… That's not how things work, Anthony."

Anthony swiftly cut her off, his grip tightening on the wood of the crib, "Don't bother. I'll care of the two of us just fine. You can leave."

The nanny's eyes flashed in offense, "You can't just-!"

"Don't come near me or my sister or I'll make you wish you were de- fired!"

At this point, Anthony was pressed against her crib and his fingers were white from his death grip on the wood. Nova maneuvered her meaty little hand to rest against the boy's and his grip lessened but wasn't removed. Nova wasn't offended when he roughly shook her hand off a moment later.

Her brother never had the best temper and was terrible within the company of strangers. Mother should've known better than to just send the woman to them without a mediator.

Unless, she wasn't the one to send the woman and it was actually their father. That would make much more sense if Howard Stark was the one to hire the babysitter without any notice. The man hardly spent enough time with them to know how they would react to a situation like this. Really, Nova was disappointed in the man.

The woman made a affronted noise at the back of her throat, "Well I never-"

Tony hissed, "You've been dismissed. Go away, you old hag."

The woman narrowed her eyes threateningly, "Your parents will hear about this, young man."

"Mom wouldn't do anything. I'm pretty sure the old man is the cause of this anyways. Go on and tell him. He'd probably be too busy with his stupid business to even care." Anthony growled with a heavy scowl.

Nova could feel Anthony's temper steadily rising due to his anxiety and she threw a disapproving stare at the woman who had yet to leave. Didn't she understand? Anthony couldn't handle a confrontation like this without their mother. The nanny was only making matters worse the longer she overstayed her welcome.

Nova felt her ire rise.

Unaware of the dangers, the woman plowed on, "That's not how you speak about your parent-"

The woman froze when the little girl pierced her very soul with a threatening glare, wide emerald eyes darkening to pitch black. A high-pitched voice, cold and harsh and nothing like the face that carried it, cut in like sharp steel.

"Leave."

The woman gaped at the tiny little girl that was sitting down next to her brother's tensed form. In a little panda onesie, the child was hardly intimidating, but she couldn't help but shiver at the soul sucking eyes that bore into her. Those eyes were unnatural. It didn't belong on any person, let alone a child.

Nova narrowed her gaze when the woman didn't move.

" **Now."**

The nanny didn't waste a second to escape Nova's probing eyes and swiftly closed the door behind her. Anthony immediately untensed and let out a heavy sigh. He shot his sister a grin before pausing and furrowing his brows, "... since when could you talk?"

Nova shrugged and went back to piling her stuffed animals in preparation of a nap, her eyes having lightened to its natural green color once more. Anthony stared at her for a moment before sighing once more and sitting down to fiddle with the machine he was messing with before the lady walked in.

No point in asking if she wasn't going to answer.

At age four, Anthony -nicknamed Tony by Nova when she struggled with her lisp- was already setting himself up to be a genius. He was capable of fluent speech and had a knack of taking his toys apart and putting it back together seamlessly.

The boy had a truly curious soul and would always seem to find trouble in the pursuit of knowledge. Nova spent her early childhood years simply watching her brother's antics in amusement. Tony was so unpredictable when it came to his experiments. It was a surprise their father hadn't been informed of the mishaps that happened, like the one time one of Tony's machines exploded and painted the entire room neon yellow for weeks.

"Was that supposed to happen, Tony?" Nova asked in dry amusement as she watched the slimy yellow substance plastered on the walls slowly drip down to the floor.

Tony casually shrugged, "Eh, minor set back. I know what went wrong so I can recalibr-"

"Yes well, you can do that after we hide from the 'hag'." Nova's lips twitched up, "That is, unless you want to deal with the consequences of your ill planned actions."

"You know… for a three year old, you're pretty articulate…" Tony mumbled as he picked up his malfunctioned prototype.

Nova raised an eyebrow, "For a four year old, you're pretty intelligent."

He paused in thought, "Huh, fair enough. Now let's go, I set another to go off when she comes."

Nova cocked her head to the side with her eyes closed, listening to the faint whispers, "She's running through the east hall right now, so we'd better hurry then."

Tony slowly blinked, "How'd you- ack, come on! Before your little legs get us caught!"

Nova smiled demurely as she allowed her brother to drag her away by the hand, "You're not much taller, you know."

"... whatever, let's go!"

When Maria found out, she only praised Tony for his ingenuity .

As they grew older, Tony's knowledge continued to expand and with it, his possessiveness. No one, not even their mother was allowed to touch what Tony considered his. It was an irrational behavior, but for a boy isolated from everything but his mother and sister, Nova felt it was justified. There wasn't much to lay claim to in a house wholly owned by their father.

Tony learned earlier on to keep everything that was his close to his chest.

It was during one particular incident where their nanny was injured by one of Tony's explosions and finally quitted that Nova inevitably learned that _people_ were also part of the list, not just his inventions.

The two had made a habit of sleeping over at each other's rooms after Tony watched a horror movie out of curiosity, and at one moment in time, the hated nanny decided that they were too old for that anymore. Tony hadn't taken their separation very well and had retaliated. The nanny was left with second degree burns and permanent facial scarring when she quit while sobbing on the ground.

Tony was severely punished and they were separated anyways.

No one commented on the fact that the little explosion shouldn't have caused that much damage. That the nanny should have had only one degree burns instead of the searing thirds that tore into her skin. No one noticed Nova's gratified expression as she stared at the flames.

 _Incendio_. A voice whispered to her, echoing like a lost memory as the fire faded into nothing.

Nova smiled.

Possessiveness ran in the family.

~.~.~

"It's not fair!" Tony raged, throwing one of Nova's vases against the wall. It connected with a loud crash and shattered onto the floor in broken pieces. Nova sat calmly on her bed as her older brother threw her things around, "It was bound to happen. We can't change it."

"This is all that stupid hag's fault! Who gave her the authority?!" Tony shouted angrily, his hand reaching to throw yet another object at the wall only to abort mid motion when he realized it was a potted plant. Nova treasured her plants more than anything in the world. Tony didn't understand her devotion, but he knew better than to damage any of her flora.

Nova stood up at his momentary pause and walked over to pull him into a calming hug. Tony's trembling form froze before hesitantly melting into her embrace. It seemed like hours had passed before Tony sniffed, reaching up to scrub his eyes.

"It isn't fair." He whispered lowly, voice raw from the screaming. Nova ran a gentle hand through his hair, realizing just how young Tony truly was, "Nothing is ever fair, brother."

"How can you be so calm about this?!" Tony said, pulling away from her hug to look at her accusingly.

Nova sighed as she guided them to her bed, avoiding the broken pieces of her furniture, "Not everything good happens in Life, Tony. Our lives are so short, barely a blink in the eye of the world. If something goes wrong, make the best of it. Time is too precious to be wasted on things we cannot change."

"I don't like it." He grumbled.

"You don't have to." Nova smiled, "You just have to make it so you do. You're smart enough to think of something, aren't you?"

Tony stared calculatingly at the wall that separated their rooms before shooting his sister a mischievous grin, "Totally."

The next day, the Stark Manor suddenly found itself with a new hole in the wall. Tony had blasted through with the use of one of his more dangerous inventions and swiftly installed a trapdoor that only opened to the voices of the two Stark children.

Howard took one good look at the contraption and smiled.

It would be the only time Tony would ever see the man's outward approval.

~.~.~

When they were ten, Tony caught Nova out in the gardens. Normally, that wouldn't be a cause for concern. Nova spent the majority of her time in the gardens unless she was keeping Tony company. In fact, it'd be strange if that was not where she was when Tony went to look for her. However, on that day, Nova had caught a burglar/possible hitman trying to sneak into their home through the gardens.

But that wasn't why Tony was so taken off guard. The boy was no stranger to random attacks by his father's competitors. No, no, no. It was something much more spectacular than that.

What Tony walked into was their suddenly sentient vines swinging a masked man around by his leg like a ragged doll.

Nova took one good look at Tony before the masked man plummeted into a conveniently placed hole that immediately swallowed him up like nothing. 'Swallowed' as in it closed up the moment the body hit the ground, leaving behind no trace of the man.

"... Nova, how long have you been able to do… this?" Tony asked warily, staring at the ground that seamlessly concealed the dead body with only a flick of Nova's hand.

He felt that he should be concerned in some way, but Tony was never taught the concept of morality. So long as Nova didn't make a mess and alert their father, he supposed it was fine. No one would miss the burglar anyway.

"I've been able to do it from the beginning, brother." Nova answered calmly, stroking the wisteria vines in thanks. She hadn't even noticed the intruder until after the vines reacted. Perhaps it was a good thing that she used the magical method of gardening by imbuing her magic into the plants. They made for a good security system.

 _Constant Vigilance!_ A voice angrily screamed at Nova in the back of her mind. She easily shoved it back in favor of paying attention to her brother.

The boy blinked incredulously, "Are you telling me that all this time, you had botanokinesis?"

"Of a sort. I am connected to the Earth and She gives me my abilities."

Tony stared at her blankly.

Nova huffed in amusement, "I'm what people call a mutant… of a sort. Abnormal. Freakish."

"Huh… Okay. Yeah, I can work with that." Tony slowly blinked before nodding, "A lot of research, but workable. Can I take a blood sample? Or two..."

Tony didn't bother to question the stick clutched in his sister's hand.

~.~.~

Nova absentmindedly wondered how her brother could so easily accept the fact that she was a mutant without much argument. And that the Earth was basically at her beck and call. Or that she killed a man. Or the fact that she easily hid the body like it was an everyday chore. After awhile, she simply decided that for all his genius, Tony was just not right in the head.

(She later found out that Tony had known for a long while before the 'great reveal'. He just wanted her to tell him on her own. She allowed the gravelly voice in her head to scream abuse about vigilance for hours after that.)

When the both of them entered high school, they were labeled as geniuses and were treated as such. They were different types of what one considered a genius, but they were geniuses nonetheless. Tony found his calling in technology and Nova stuck firmly to botany.

 _Thanks Harry but you don't need to do this to become closer to me_ , a soft and firm voice said in light amusement, _you don't even like Herbology._

 _And how would you know that?_ She heard herself challenge. He chuckled, _You like your head in the clouds, not your hands in the ground. But here, let me teach you, I know you need a distraction._

… _Thanks, Neville…_

Everywhere they went, people would always follow them, eyes full of expectation. Nova willed herself to melt in the backgrounds while her brother absorbed all the attention and _shined_. The Stark siblings breezed through their curriculums in their respectable grades and graduated well before their times.

Tony immediately entered an undergraduate electrical engineering program at MIT at age fifteen. Nova on the other hand, chose to stay home where she could care for their mother instead.

"You shouldn't stay here for me, darling." Maria would always say, "Go live your life."

"I'm where I'm supposed to be." Nova would always answer, "Tony's place is out there in the world. Mine is here with you, mother, and I will stay with you until I am unable."

"You were born for a greater purpose." She'd argue, her eyes wide and earnest. Nova would smile a benign smile and softly say with her ever present ancient eyes, "My purpose is of my choosing and I choose to protect you."

And that would be that.

Nova would care for her mother in their little garden while Tony was making his mark in the world and their father was building his business empire. Their lifestyles would stay that way for years until one day, everything changed.

~.~.~

"Do you know why I gave you your name?" Maria asked softly as she sat in front of her vanity. Nova looked up from her place tending to the vase of lilacs, Maria's favorite scent, "Why?"

Maria turned to look at her daughter and smiled fondly, "You were so small in my arms, so fragile. I was afraid that I would break you."

Nova smiled back, "You did well in raising me."

Maria laughed as she stood up to walk over to her daughter. The woman's eyes softened as she raised a hand to lay against Nova's cheek, "Did you know… the first time you opened your eyes. I saw the stars shine within them, sparkling and beautifully bright. So much potential in my little girl's eyes. I knew right then and there that you and your brother were destined for greatness. He had the same eyes too you know."

Maria pulled Nova into a tight hug, "That is why… I want you to meet your full potential."

Nova frowned, "I will not leave you alone."

Maria chuckled and stroked Nova's raven hair, "I'm not alone, darling. I have your father, despite what you children believe, and he'd never leave me. Both he and I wish for your happiness and I can see that you won't find it here, confined in this old place."

Nova opened her mouth to protest, but Maria tapped her nose to quiet her, "Don't lie to me, honey. I'm your mother and I can see it. I want you to go visit your brother, go exploring for awhile. I'm sure he'll be happy to show you around what with his many… adventures."

Nova furrowed her brows, "What about you?"

Maria gestured to the beautiful dress she was wearing, "Your father and I are going out."

"For business." Nova concluded dryly. Maria rolled her eyes and patted Nova's head, "It's still going out, dear."

Nova let out a sigh before smiling, "Have fun and stay safe."

Maria kissed her on the forehead before walking over to pick up her coat and purse, "Always."

Nova watched as her mother open the door and quickly called out, "I love you!"

Maria turned and smiled brightly, "I love you too, honey."

The door shut behind her and Nova was left with silence. After a moment, Nova fished out the phone Tony insisted on building her and dialed his number. For some odd reason, anything that was not personally built by Tony seemed to always short circuit before long. She just didn't get along with technology.

It was a few seconds before he picked up with a groggy tone, "Uh… yeah?"

Nova smiled at the gruff voice laced with sleep, "Tony, are you free?"

"... Nova? Holy shi- Is that you?!" There was a bit of sheets shuffling and muffled whispers on his side of the phone before he answered in a much more cheery voice, "Yep. Totally free. What's up? You never call unless it's an emergency."

"Mother and Father have left to a party. Would you like to join me in… sightseeing?"

There was a long pause before her brother excitedly answered back, "And what? Miss the princess finally leaving her tower?! Of course, I'll go with you! Hold up, give me thirty minutes and I'll come pick you up. See ya, munchkin!"

"I'm 5'4, pretty tall for a woman, you know." Nova replied dryly, but Tony had already hung up.

True to his word, Tony was at the house within thirty minutes in a fancy car Nova didn't even attempt to identify. He hopped out of his car to give her a one sided hug as he lead her to her seat, "I have everything planned for today. You hungry? Cause I was thinking of Italian for breakfast. Or French, whichever you prefer. Better eat fast though, cause I plan on cramming as much as I can before you hole yourself up in the house for another decade."

"Nice to see you too." Nova drawled in amusement.

"Just you wait." Tony continued as if she hadn't spoken, "Today is gonna be the best day you've ever had. Trust me."

Later that night, Howard and Maria Stark was found in a car accident.

Dead.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The sun was shining brightly overhead, not a cloud to be seen.

 _How fitting_ , Nova mused as the wind brushed gently against her in comfort.

Maria Stark never did like dreary and depressing things, preferring to see the world in an optimistic light. It would only make sense that her funeral would be bathed in the rays of the beautiful sun as people remembered her in good memories. Nova didn't know her father very well, but she knew he would appreciate the sentiment too.

Soon enough, the funeral was over and the press left. Nova stood at the graves of her parents, Tony's hand tightly gripping her own. The two siblings stared in silence as the wind blew.

Slowly, Nova raised a hand towards the headstones. Moments later, lilacs bursted through the green grass and bloomed, weaving over the dirt that covered the coffins six feet under. Tony silently watched as the graves were painted in white, violet, and blue lilacs.

Innocence and purity for white. Spirituality for violet. Happiness and tranquility for blue. Tony didn't need Nova to speak for him to understand the message she wanted to give to their parents.

"Life is so short." Nova whispered sadly as she stared at the little garden of flowers, "But they made the most of theirs and made their mark. We will never forget them for they shall forever live on in our hearts."

Tony stayed silent, having nothing to say. The two stood there for what seemed like hours. It was just them and the sounds of nature around them. Nova closed her eyes and breathed it all in, sinking into the comforting hold of Gaia's ever present presence.

"Come live with me." Tony spoke for the first time that day.

Nova didn't ask and simply answered, "Alright."

~.~.~

"I got you the best money could buy." Tony proudly crowed as he swept his hand over the room.

Nova gripped her small bag tightly as she took in the indoor garden that made up her room. All manners of flora decorated the walls in a beautiful presentation of colors as the soothing sound of trickling water was heard from the small irrigation system that wrapped around the center floor where a queen sized bed stood. Behind the bed, framed by luscious green leaves, was a wall of glass revealing the breathtaking scene of the sea.

"You spoil me, brother." Nova mumbled as she walked down a pathway to her bed, the water system going along her right and left, splitting off towards the wall to make the shape of a square border around the soft looking bed at the center. Her room looked like it was part of a dystopian future with the way the tile seemed to sparkle from the sunlight shining through the glass.

"I don't spoil you enough." He answered evenly, "I haven't seen you in years, Nova. That makes me an asshole and you don't deserve that. You never did."

Nova turned around and smiled softly at her brother, "I do not fault you, brother. Visiting me meant going under the same roof as Father; I know why you couldn't. It is the same reason why Mother did not ask for you to come if you did not want to."

Tony violently flinched at the mention of their deceased parents before hastily pasting on a smile, "Well I still need to make it up to you."

Nova's heart broke at Tony's reaction and she couldn't help but lay a hand on his cheek, "You do not need to hide from me, brother. Never."

Gently taking his hand into her own, Nova led them to the bed before gesturing for her brother to get on, "I feel tired from the trip and I'm not yet comfortable being alone here. Won't you sleep with me just this once?"

Tony gave her a tired smile though his eyes shined in gratefulness, "Just this once."

"Just this once." Nova confirmed with a nod before tucking her brother in and cuddling to his side. If her shoulder became a bit damp and there was a soft hitch of a breath in the middle of the night, no one said anything. If her brother needed a shoulder to cry on, then that was exactly what she would offer him.

He didn't need to hide _anything_ from her.

~.~.~

"The measuring cups are in the cabinet to your left, Miss Nova."

Nova let out a half muted shriek, leaves and vines flying around her in a half formed shield. She threw her head from side to side, holding a spatula as if it were a weapon as she tried to locate the voice, "Who are you?!"

"Apologies, I did not mean to frighten you. I am Jarvis, Sir's artificial intelligence system." The voice answered without revealing where it was coming from. It was as if he was all around her.

Nova warily stared up at the ceiling, "My brother... made you?"

"Sir is my creator, yes. I've been told to help you anyway I can, so please do not hesitate to ask." Jarvis answered kindly in a British accent.

Nova let out a long sigh, placing down the spatula she had been holding in a death grip. After a moment, she relaxed her shoulder with a hesitant smile, "Cabinet on my left, was it?"

"You are correct."

~.~.~

Tony plopped onto Nova's lap with a loud groan as he threw an arm over his eyes. She simply rose an eyebrow in question, pausing her movie to turn her attention towards her brother, "Rough day?"

"Tell me about it." Tony sighed, kicking off his designer shoes before curling against Nova and no doubt ruining his suit, "Paparazzi's been going crazy about you."

"Me?" Nova asked in surprise.

"Well duh." He smirked, "You're a Stark. Everyone's crazy about us."

"Why?" Nova mumbled in confusion.

"Well for starters, you disappeared off the face of the earth after high school in their eyes. The media's never seen you anywhere." Tony hummed, "Makes sense that they'd want to find out everything about you."

Nova shifted uncomfortably at the thought, "I… see…"

"Don't worry, lil sis." Tony blindly reached up and patted her head, "I'll deal with them. You just keep your pretty little head in here, where it's safe, kay?"

Nova smiled softly at her brother, "Thank you, Tony."

"Anything for you, sis."

~.~.~

"Who are _you_?"

Nova didn't react to the scathing voice that was directed at her. Instead, she focused on watering the various plants that littered the room. While Tony was wary of anything organic near his tech projects, he understood Nova's necessity with 'staying in touch with nature'. As a result, he ended up turning every room they used as living space into an indoor garden of sorts.

The only room devoid of flora was his workshop.

Nova knew better to have any of her plants in _that_ room. Tony would sooner blow it up on accident than keep it alive. Although Nova _did_ leave a cactus in there for safety measures. She needed some form of a defense if anything happened in there, seeing as she was effectively removed from the ground. Staying in a building stories away from the dirt was a bit discomfiting, but Nova learned to deal with it. Tony needed her more.

"Um, _excuse me_. I was talking to you." Tony's guest of the day raised her voice in irritation.

Nova sighed, but continued to water her azaleas, "Yes, I am aware. I just chose to ignore you."

"Who do you think you are?!" The woman growled, putting her hand on one hip.

Nova rolled her eyes and put down the watering can to stand up and properly look at the stranger, "I should be the one asking you that, seeing as you're not allowed on this floor, in just a shirt no less. How scandalous."

The blonde woman sputtered, but Nova didn't wait for an answer, "I'd suggest you leave this floor before Tony finds out and kicks you out without letting you grab your possessions."

The woman blinked in shock, "He wouldn't do that!"

"Yes, Rachel. I would."

The woman now known as Rachel whirled around to see Tony leaning casually on the doorframe. He halfheartedly waved a hand over his shoulder, "I'm feeling generous so go and get your things and leave before I call in security."

Rachel made a frustrated noise and glared at the Stark siblings before stalking off. Tony watched her go in disinterest.

Nova frowned and put a hand on her hip, "That's the third time this week, Tony."

"Sorry, sorry." He raised his hands, an easy grin on his face as he faced his sister, "I'll have Jarvis put in a security code or whatever."

The purple lobelias hanging above him in a basket reached down and smacked him across the face.

"Wha-Hey!" Tony shouted, shooting the plant a baleful glare as he rubbed his face, "I apologized, dammit."

"Not enough." Nova huffed, her emerald eyes narrowed, "I don't care about your sex life, Tony. If you're going to do it, do it in a guest room a few floors down. This house is big enough."

"Right." He sighed. Nova rolled her eyes before picking up the watering can, "You'd best get ready, brother. Miss Potts is on her way here for the meeting."

"Meeting?" He mumbled in confusion, "Who's Pott- ack! Nova, stop abusing me, dammit!"

"I'll stop when you use that brain of yours for once. Virginia Potts is the poor assistant you hired to foist all your work on. The meeting is about your new blueprints." Nova watered the last of her plants before walking over to the twenty-one year old and pushing him into the building, "Go on, get dressed. I have breakfast ready for you in the kitchen, I'm sure Jarvis will warm it up for you, right Jarvis?"

"Your breakfast will be ready for you when you arrive, sir." A British voice answered at Nova's prompting. Tony grumbled lowly, but obediently went off to his room.

Nova smiled at his departure before stretching, "Jarvis, can you start misting the greenhouse for me? I'm going to go out for a walk."

"On your own, Miss Nova?"

"It's just the beach, Jarvis. I thought the two of you would be happy about it?" Nova teased goodnaturedly as put on her hat and sunglasses. Tony had made it his personal mission to get Nova out of the house. It wasn't her fault though, she genuinely tried. It was just…to see all these towering metal buildings and concrete ground surrounding her, it was hard to get used to.

"I do not mean to offend, Miss Nova, but the last time you said you were going on a walk, you ended up cliff jumping without the proper safety gear. Sir had a panic attack when he heard of your actions." Jarvis stated.

Nova rolled her eyes, "I wasn't going to get hurt."

She was stressed and needed something other than tending to her garden to deal with it. Call it cabin fever. She needed to immerse herself in the Natural Order of Life and the closest had been the ocean. Albeit... she admitted she could've planned the execution better.

"Even so."

"Alright. If I promise not to go jumping off cliffs or doing anything dangerous, will you unlock the door?" Nova asked as she stood at the entrance, hand on the immovable handle. She was answered with the audible click of the door.

"Have a safe trip, Miss Nova."

"Thank you." Nova smiled and set out towards the beach.

Reaching the shores of the beach took short work and Nova stood with her feet in the water, taking in the crashing thrums of the waves meeting the sand and the cry of the gulls flying overhead.

After a moment, Nova took off her hat and sunglasses and placed it in a pile on the sand with her phone hidden underneath. Taking long strides, Nova dove into the pleasantly cool waves before anyone around her recognized her face.

Gaia rushed to meet her, pressing Her presence into Nova's body until the strain on her lungs eased to nothing. Nova laughed in joy, breathing in the water like it was air. She hadn't done this in so long. She felt so free underneath the waves.

" _Come child."_

Nova didn't need Gaia's prompting to bend the seawater around her and propel forwards. The twenty year old gracefully glided through the sea, her flowing blue dress trailing behind her like tail fins. Her bright green eyes took in the beautiful sight of the coral beds and fish swimming leisurely about.

She spotted a familiar calico bass and happily swam over, "Leo! I haven't seen you since I went cliff diving two weeks ago."

The large fish whirled around and flittered around her frantically. Nova frowned worriedly, "What's wrong?"

Flashes of a large shadow on the surface connected to an invisible force and a shiny object stuck in a sting ray entered her mind. Leo bumped into her chest once before quickly swimming off towards the kelp forest. Nova blinked in confusion before sharply looking up. Just above her, a rather small sea creature was thrashing about, letting loose a cloud of blood.

Nova gasped in shock when she realized that it was caught by a line, the source coming from a kayak a couple meters away. She immediately shot forward to help the poor animal. Swiftly, she wrapped her arm around the sting ray and held it as still as she could in its mindless struggle for freedom. With a grunt, Nova did her best to cleanly remove the metal hook and the moment she let go, the fish was already far off in the distance.

With an irritated huff, Nova shot the kayak a glare and roughly yanked the line she was still holding back. She could only gape as the kayak immediately tipped over, depositing it's occupant into the ocean. She hadn't pulled that hard, did she?!

She stared as the man thrashed around not unlike the fish he had almost caught. It took a minute for her to process that fact that she had just upended a man and all his supplies into the water and that he might not be able to retrieve them anytime soon. It took a another minute for her to realize that said man was still underwater, having yet to resurface when he was supposed to. Another painfully long minute passed before it finally registered that she should probably do something about that.

The man's movement slowed before stopping completely as a red cloud surrounded him.

Nova's eyes widened. Yeah, she definitely had to do something about that.

Shooting forward in a burst of water, Nova made it to his side within seconds. Her eyes observed him critically before realizing that his fishing line had wrapped around his neck and that he had been struggling to free himself.

With neat precision, Nova removed the obstacle and swiftly dragged his body to the surface. The moment they broke the water, the man was gasping for air, coughing all the while.

She ignored him as she pulled them to his upturned kayak. A quick maneuver had the kayak righted and the man sprawled on top of it. Nova made sure he was secure enough not to fall off again before she backed off.

Hesitantly, she spoke, "Warn the people that a shark may be near soon enough. You've lost a lot of blood from that cut."

Before he could turn around and see her face, Nova submerged herself and manipulated the water into pushing the man back to shore at a steady pace. After a moment of silence, Nova breathed out a long sigh and tiredly rubbed her eyes.

Of course something bad would happen when she felt relaxed. Just her luck.

Shaking her head, Nova swam back to the shore, much more subdued that before. Ignoring the strange looks shot at her when she emerged from the waves with her dress clinging to her body, Nova put on her hat and sunglasses and quickly walked off.

Seconds later, her phone rang.

Before she could say so much as a 'hello', Tony's voice spoke in obvious irritation.

" _Mind telling me why Jarvis just told me that you spent the better of an hour roughly fifty meters away from any form of land? And don't lie about renting a boat. I keep track of your card."_

Nova's eyebrow twitched, "Where was it this time? I left my phone at the beach."

" _In your bracelet."_ Tony easily answered as if he wasn't sticking tracking chips into his sister's belongings without her consent, " _Changing the subject, by the way. Is there something you should be telling me, dear sister of mine? Botanokinesis doesn't let you stay underwater for sixty whole minutes without drowning."_

Nova rolled her eyes, "I never said I had botanokinesis. You just labeled it that."

" _Still off topic, Nova. I know you told me that you're 'connected to the Earth' or whatever, but that doesn't exactly tell me anything."_ Tony sighed heavily. The both of them ignored the muffled sound of metal screeching against metal in the background, " _All I know is that your genetic code has the x-gene and your biolo- ugh, you already know. I've got nothing but the fact that you can go without eating for weeks with just the sun and some water and you control plants. Come on, Nova. Help me out a little here."_

Nova quietly contemplated her answer as she walked up the stairway and entered the backdoor of their house. As she walked, she picked up a packet of seeds and a pot of fertilized soil she had yet to use. She hung up the phone as she entered her brother's workshop, Tony waiting expectantly on his chair.

"I guess you can loosely call me an elementalist. Loosely." Was the first thing she said as she set her things on the table in front of her older brother, "I can manipulate whatever Gaia allows me to without the aid of a medium. Of course, I can easily lose that ability if I lose her favor."

Tony opened his mouth, but a pointed stare had him closing it again. Nova opened the packet of seeds and gently planted them into the soil, "Of the four, the easiest to control is the earth and water."

Tony observed with rapt attention as Nova moved her hand away from her body and the water from her drenched dress followed. The large orb of water sat on her hand, leaving her clothes completely dry. Silently, Nova held out another hand and the ball split in half, leaving an orb in each hand.

"Most of the time, I use my ability to garden. Don't question me, Tony, I can see it in your face. Life is a beautiful thing and helping plants grow to their full potential is a joyous feeling. Of course, you wouldn't know that. You're more attuned to metal and fire." Nova smiled teasingly at her brother as one of the orbs descended from her hand and sank into the soil. She held out an index finger and repeatedly made a circular motion above the pot.

"I manipulate the soil and water in a process where I can increase any plant's growth rate exponentially. Since the plant is the product of my elements, I can also control it to an extent."

Within seconds, buds poked through the surface and grew until all they saw was a bush of lilacs. Tony blinked slowly as he stared curiously at the plant, "... How about wind and fire?"

Nova shrugged before flicking her wrist. Before Tony could react, the remaining water orb flew through the air and splashed against Tony's face. The man sputtered in shock, his eyes wide and accusing, "Wha-?!"

"For messing with my things without asking." Nova smirked, placing her bracelet on the desk before leaving the room, "Miss Potts is at the door, by the way."

Tony groaned.

~.~.~

"I honestly thought he would be different!"

"Mmhm." Nova absentmindedly answered for the fiftieth time as she checked to make sure every seed was perfectly sewn. She had another batch to finish before she went to trim the rose bushes.

"I was aware of his unfavorable social life, but I had assumed he'd be different when he was working, you know?"

"Uhuh." Nova nodded, her eyes set on the basket next to the ginger, "Can you pass me the green packet, Miss Potts?"

"Call me Virginia." Virginia Potts paused for a second to hand Nova the bag before continuing on with her rant, "Anyways, he's either always late to his scheduled meeting or he doesn't come at all! Who does that? Especially when they're the ones who scheduled the meeting in the first place!"

"Sounds about right." Nova mumbled as she evenly dispersed the gardenia seeds. Maybe she'd leave the rose bushes for tomorrow. She needed to order everything else into neat places or Tony would start complaining that it was a jungle again.

"I just don't get what's going through that mind of his. He's so brilliant, but his actions are… not. He's so frustrating at times. How do you do it?"

Nova blinked in surprise when blue eyes were suddenly trained on her, wide and expectant. Flailing for a moment, Nova panicked to answer the question she hadn't even paid attention to for the past hour the woman had been there, "... go with the flow?"

The primly dressed woman slumped with a heavy sigh, "I guess it's a losing battle. I can't change how Stark works, no matter how hard I try."

Realizing what was going on, Nova nudged the forlorn woman with her shoulder since her hands were covered in dirt, "Not exactly what I meant. I like to imagine Tony as a river, strong and powerful and determined to get where he needs to go. Going against the current would only cause you to be swept away."

"Then what do I do?" The defeated woman asked.

Nova smiled, "Think ahead, Potts. You're a smart woman. If you can't stop a rushing river, what do you do?"

Her brows furrowed in thought before her blue eyes brightened with determination, "Redirect it! I know what to do now."

Nova nodded in approval before twisting her body to reach a particularly small potted plant. Virginia stared in pleasant surprise when Nova placed the pot of white lilacs in her hands.

The younger Stark spared the woman an encouraging smile, "Good luck."

Nova assumed nothing else was needed of her and promptly left the room to go to the greenhouse on the roof. She'd ended up trimming the rose bushes anyways. Tony would be too preoccupied by whatever Virginia was planning to complain.

"Jarvis?"

"Yes, Miss Nova?"

"Can you key Miss Potts into the system? Even Tony's workshop, though make sure it's reasonably safe before letting her enter."

"Of course, Miss Nova."

"Thank you."

~.~.~

Nova frowned in irritation.

The man she had basically drowned before saving kept on coming to _her_ spot on the ocean floor. Everyday, he would never fail to come and start diving around for hours on end. Why was he doing that? What purpose did it serve?

Was it because of his lost equipment?

Nova blinked for a moment. Yeah, that was probably it. The tools must have been expensive or something. She knew where the things were, but she faced a problem. How would she return it to him without showing her face? She couldn't risk asking any of the fish. The man might capture them like last time.

After a moment of contemplation, an idea struck her. Holding out her hand in a beckoning motion towards the kelp forest, she called a few forth. Slowly, the kelp weaved through the water and carefully wrapped around the metal box only a few feet away.

Nova hesitated for a moment before motioning her hand forward. Answering her silent command, the aquatic plant rose with the box secured in its grasp. The man immediately latched onto the movement and cried out in shock.

Bubbles of air rushed out of him and Nova watched in amusement as he was forced to resurface for a minute before frantically diving down once more. Hesitantly, the blonde haired man swam towards the kelp, but did nothing else.

Nova sighed when he proceeded to just stare from a meter away. With a flick of a wrist, the kelp shot forward, clumsily deposited the tool box into his frightened arms, and quickly retreated back into the kelp forest.

The man didn't have time to react before he was once again forced to resurface. Nova smiled with a satisfied nod and a pat on the back before turning away and swimming off.

That should solve the problem.

~.~.~

The second she touched her phone at the sandy shores of the beach, it rang it's obnoxiously loud ringtone that Tony had set for himself. The brunette stared at the piece of technology for a long moment, wondering why this felt so familiar. Oh right. Cause it did happen. Just like now, actually.

Nova took in a deep breath and steeled herself before answering the call with a dry, "What?"

" _So we need to have talk about you going off to meet random guys in some secret place without telling me under the excuse of taking a walk."_ Tony commented in a deceptively calm voice, " _And your strange way of flirting."_

Nova let out a long, drawn out sigh of exasperation, "You installed cameras from the location you got the last time you tracked me, didn't you?"

" _Yep_." Tony cheerfully popped the 'p', " _Exactly how long has this been happening?"_

"What has?"

" _Don't play coy with me, lil sis."_ Tony admonished lightly, " _Since when did you even notice the existence of the opposite sex?"_

"Since when did you care?" Nova retorted as she walked off, "Contrary to your beliefs, brother, I'm not stupid when it comes to social interaction. I was simply helping him. He needed his tools."

" _No, Nova."_ Tony said, his suddenly seriousness throwing her off, " _He knew where that box was. He's known for a week now. He's been diving for something else. Looking for you I presume."_

Nova froze for a second before quickening her pace, "Has he seen me?"

" _Not that I know of."_ Her brother sighed heavily, " _I've run a background check on him already. Man's okay on record. Unfortunately, he's been telling his friends he found his very own Ariel."_

Nova grimaced as she skillfully dodged the media at the front and snuck into the garage of the house, "Not good."

Tony's scoff could be heard over the phone, " _You're telling me. On the bright side, he hasn't_ seen _you. Only heard your 'sweet, angelic voice that embodies the beauty of the waves'. Not exaggerating, by the way. Said it word for word. Should totally avoid a creep like that."_

Nova sighed, "Don't do anything to him, Tony. It's my fault anyways."

" _What? I didn't say I was going to hurt him!"_

"Tony." Nova said warningly.

There was a short pause before he groaned, " _Fine. Fine. I won't bankrupt him to the point of poverty to silence him."_

"Thank you."

" _Yeah whatever. Gotta go, Pepper's found me."_

"Pepper? Are you… hiding?"

" _Yes, my lovely assistant, Nova; keep up. And no. I'm just… taking a break… away from her."_

"Tony!"

" _Bye!"_


End file.
